Today, we applaud the Department of Defense for its proposal to expand the protections of the 2007 Military Lending Act against predatory financial practices aimed at servicemembers and veterans and their families and that threaten the nation's military preparedness. The proposal also closes loopholes exploited by payday lenders, auto title pawn companies and other lenders to evade the law's intended protections.

Attorney General Eric Holder's Department of Justice negotiated many large settlements to resolve charges of corporate wrongdoing, but he missed an opportunity to leave behind a legacy of increased transparency and public protections against companies writing off settlements as tax deductions.

U.S. PIRG and other consumer advocates, joined by pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists, today applauded the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) vote to address the hazards posed by high powered magnets. Children who swallow two or more magnets are at risk of developing serious injuries such as small holes in the stomach and intestines, intestinal blockage, blood poisoning, and even death.

A new report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund identifies 11 examples of wasteful highway spending that are slated to cost at least $13 billion and are based on outdated assumptions of ever-increasing driving. The study calls on the federal and state governments to reprioritize scarce transportation dollars to other projects.